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Megilas Ruth Questions

Bonus Question

I Did Not Know That!

Answers to Megilas Ruth Questions

Answer to Bonus Question

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Megilas Ruth Questions

Answers | Contents

1. Who wrote the Book of Ruth?
2. During which historical period did the events of the Megillah of Ruth occur?
3. Who was Naomi's husband?
4. After she returned from Moav, by what name did Naomi ask to be called?
5. How was Boaz related to Naomi?
6. Into what did Boaz tell Ruth to dip her bread?
7. Why is Elimelech's brother referred to as Ploni Almoni and not by his real name?
8. With what object did Boaz redeem Elimelech's property?
9. The people and the elders blessed Ruth that she should be like whom?
10. What was Ruth's relationship to King David?

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Answer Contents	List as many reasons as you can why we read the Megillah of Ruth on Shavuos!

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I Did Not Know That!

There is a custom to eat "milchigs" on Shavuos. Pharaoh's daughter drew Moshe out of the water on the 6th of Sivan, and he was willing to be nursed only by a Hebrew woman. Therefore we recall Moshe's merit on Shavuos by eating milk foods. Furthermore, the numerical values of the letters of the Hebrew word chalav (milk) add up to 40 corresponding to the 40 days Moshe spent on Mount Sinai.

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Answers to this Megilas Ruth Questions

Questions | Contents

1. The Prophet Samuel (Bava Batra 14b).
2. During the era of the Shoftim, the Judges. Boaz was the shofet at the time (1:1).
3. Elimelech. (1:2).
4. Mara (1:20).
5. He was her husband's brother's son. (2:1, Rashi).
6. Vinegar (2:14).
7. Since he didn't want to redeem his brother's property and thereby discharge his family duty (Rashi 4:1).
8. With a shoe (according to the Targum, a glove) (4:8).
9. Like Rachel and Leah (4:11).
10. She was his great-grandmother: Ruth, Oved, Yishai, David (4:22).

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Question Contents

Here are seven reasons why we read the Megillah of Ruth on Shavuos: The events occurred during the harvest season. Shavuos is the harvest festival. Ruth was a convert to Judaism. Conversion is an individual Kabbalas HaTorah. Ruth the Moabite was permitted to marry Boaz, based on a drasha (a teaching of the Oral Law) of the verse, "A Moabite may not marry into the Congregation of Hashem" (Devarim 23:4). This hints at the unity between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. David Hamelech was born on Shavuos. The Megillah of Ruth concludes with David's lineage. To teach the greatness of gemillus chassadim - acts of loving-kindness. To teach that the Torah is acquired only through affliction and poverty. The name "Ruth" has the numerical value of 606. At Har Sinai the Jewish People accepted 606 mitzvos, in addition to the 7 Noachide Laws which were incumbent upon them already.

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